Lock for double acting file cabinets



' Aug. 26, 1930. E, OHNSTRAND 1,774,236

' Q LOCK FOR DOUBLE AGiING FILE CABINETS Filed July 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Aug. 26, 1930. E. OHNSTRAND v1,774,236

I LOOK FOR DOUBL E ACTING FILE CABINETS Filed July 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig: 1

' Inventor 5 moval of the drawers thereof. 1 I 1 Patented Au 26, 1930 v UNITED srATEsf PATENT orrlca ENOGH OHYNS'IRAND," or m osamw' YORK, assreNon, BY: MESNE'ASSIIGDNMENV'ISQ T REMINGTON RAND 1No., OFINEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OEDELAWARE LOOK FOR DOUBLEACTINGTILE oaBINETs I Application filed July 26,-

This invention relates "to file cabinets and has reference more particularly to file cabinets of the double acting type and to locks or catches for preventing inadvertentwre In drawersof the double actingtype adapted to receive index cards on edge, such as those used by libraries, and in which withdrawal of the drawer is permitted from op 10 posite sides of the cabinet, it has been found that frequently'readers in the library push the drawers-through past theopposite side with the result that the drawer falls out onthe floor and'the cards are scattered.

A An object of this invention is to provide a drawer catch for a double acting cabinet p which will. prevent inadvertent removal of a drawer but which will permit easy removal of aldrawer whendesired.

Another object-of the'lnvention i-sto pro-: vide a catch of the class described'which is simple and efficient in operation and which is cheap to manufacture. 1

A further object f this invention is to provide a drawer catchwhich will-be noiseless. inoperation and'pleasmg-m appearance; also to improve file cabinetsin other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to-be had'to the accompany ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which: I r y Fig; l is a perspective view of my improved file cabinet. I V I r Fig. 2 is a side elevation/of a file cabinet with certain drawers in extended position. I ;Fig.,3 is a side elevation of one of the improved drawers of the file cabinet.

Fig. 4L is'a' side elevation of-my improved drawer catch. v p 'Fig. 5 is a front elevation of thedrawer catch. W

Fig. 6 is a'modified form of my invention showing a concealed latch applied to acabila net of sheet metal construction, parts of-this view being broken away to disclose the-.605 struction. 5 i I ,7 v J H Fig. 7 is a perspective. view of one of the metal drawers shown in Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 and 9 are side sectional elevations mally urged in a counter-clockwise direction as seen 1n Fig-.' 5. The other arm32 of the 1926. semi No; 124,91

of the drawer catch shown in Fig. 6, in two different positions.

Fig. 10 is a plan sectional view of the 1 drawer catch shown in Fig. 6. 1 Referringto the drawings by numerals,

indicates :a file cabinet which is preferably 'madeof wood because of thenoiseless properties of this material, but may also be made of other materials ;which may be desired.

This cabinet 15. is preferably box shaped and has sidewalls l6','topnwall l7, and bottom wall 18. One or more vertical partitions 19 and horizontal partitions 2O dividethe file a cabinet into a plurality of compartments each of which isadapted to slidingly receive a drawer 21.' This draw-er has an end wall22 .with a label holder'23 of ordinary constructionand is also provided with side walls 24 and 25 ofa special construction;- Each side wall 24 and25 has, a gentlyfinclined cam surface26 at one upperjend and;a hook shaped portion 27 forming'a stop at the other upper end. However, the arrangement of the two drawer walls 24 and25 is reversed so that a cam surface 26Ion wall 24 is positionedadjacent the front wall 29.:opposite thehook'SZZ, this arrangement being made to accommodate my improved drawer catch to be more fully" described. I i 1 This improved draw r catch is in the shape of a'bell-cranklever having a .journalp28 intermediate its ends which fulcrumed on a screw- 29 entering the wood of one-of the partitions 1 9. This screw-is provided with an annularv shoulder 30 adapted to serve as a bearing for thejournal 28. One arm 31of the bell-crank lever extends substantially" horizontally and is relatively'heavy in constructlon so that the bell-cranklever is nor-v bell-crank lever extends substantially verticallyand its lower end is provided with apin 33 extending into a slot 34 provided in the partition 19.? A plate is mounted under I the catch, the pin 33 passes. through a slot 36 saidplate85. This plate is held in place above by means ofthe screw 29 and below by 'means-of a screw The slot 36 in the plate 35 is somewhat longer than the slot 34 in the ners thereof.

As seen in Fig. 1, lower right hand corner,

the catch arm 31 extends downwardly over the corner of the drawer wall 22 so that in order to pull the draw-er out, it is necessary to raise the catch arm 31 temporarily. As" the drawer is pulled out, the catch arm 31 engages the hook 27 on drawer wall 24, as seen in the lower left hand corner of Fig. 1. This catch army-31 thus serves to prevent the drawer from being inadvertently removed from the cabinet and the cards spilled on the floor. In order to completely remove the drawer from the cabinet, it is necessary to again raise up tne catch arm 31. As the drawer shown in the lower left hand corner of Fig. 1 moves rearwardly, the cam surface 26, automatically raises upthe catch arm 31, the rear of the drawer then strik ng against a similar catch arm onthe rear of the cabinet which prevents said drawer'from being inadvertently pushed through and out at the other side. inside the cabinet and not extending out ither way, it is prevented from movement in either direction by a catch arm 31 on each end of the compartment but at opposite cor- For some uses it is desirable to employ a cabinet made of sheet metal such-as steel. It is also desirable, under certain'conditions, to have the drawer catch concealed. 'The modilied form shown in Figs. 6 to lO inclusive, therefore employs sheet metal construction for the cabinet and drawers, and concealed catches. p Cabinets of this steel construction are usually constructed with outside steel walls 37 and inside liners 38. The front of each wall 2 is formed into a transverse flange 39 and liner 38- and each catch 42 is flush against the inside of flange 41 so as to take the jar and thrust when drawers are moved intoand' out of the compartments. The opposite ends of rod 43 extend through openings in flanges '39, a knurled head 46 being secured to each end of sai-drod so that said rod and catch arms 44 may be easily rocked. Each catch 42 is provided with a stop arm47 which is so shaped that itwilleng'ag-e the inner surface Thus when the drawer is of the liner 38 and limit the downward rotation of catch arm 44.

The metal drawers 48 have side walls 49 which are also provided with liners 50. The

front wall 51 has its upper edge 52 formed end walls 51 and 58 so that the upper cornerof each end wall forms a stop 54 for engaging the catch arm 44. Thus when the drawer is completely inserted in the cabinet, both catch arms on the rod 43 extend between the outer walls of the drawer and prevent'the movement of the drawer in either direction until head 46 is partially rotated to release the catch arms from the drawer. As the drawer is pulled out, the head 46 is released and the catch arm 44 moves downwardly and engages the upper corner 54 of the drawer to prevent its inadvertent removal from the cabinet.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself precisely to the details herein illns trated and described, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. In a filing cabinet open at oppositeends, a compartment adapted to slidingly receive a file drawer sothat said drawer may be pulled from said compartment in either longitudinal direction, and a catch arranged adjacent each end on said compartment adapted to detachably engage the drawer at two spaced points, one to retain the drawer in housed position and the other, to normally prevent complete detachn'ient of the drawer from the cabinet.

2. In a filing cabinet open at opposite ends, a compartment adapted to slidin 'ly receive a file drawer so that said drawer may be pulled from said compartment in either longitudinal direction. and a catch arranged adjacent each end of said compartment adapted to detachably engage the drawer to prevent the inadvertent removal thereof, said drawer having cam surfaces adapted to actuate each catch and permit the insertion of said drawer into said con'ipartment.

3. In a filing cabinet open at opposite ends, a compartment adapted to slidingly recelve a file drawer so that said drawer may be pulled from said compartment in either longitudinal direction, a catch on said compartment, and a cam surface and a stop on said drawer adapted to cooperate with said catch to prevent the inadvertent removal of the drawer from said compartment and to permit the insertion of said drawer therein.

4. In a filing cabinet open. at opposite ends, a compartment adapted to slidingly receive gitudinal direction,

inadvertent removal of the drawer from said compartment and to perm t the lnsertlon of said drawer therein; I

5. In a filing cabinet open at opposite ends, a compartment adapted to slidingly receive a file drawer so that said drawer may be pulled from said compartment in either longitudinal direction, and a catch mounted on said cabinet having a pair of arms, one arm of which engages the drawer to preventthe inadvertent removal of the drawer from said compartment and the otherarm of said catch v serving as a stop to limit the rocking ofsaid catch. I

6. In a filing cabinetopen at opposite ends,

into and out of said compartment through 7 said open end, and a manually releasable catch mounted on said cabinet having a portion normally projecting to engage said drawer for cooperation therewith in two positions, one for retaining the drawer 1n housed position in the compartment, andthe other for preventing complete detachment of the drawer from the cabinet when moved into-open position out of said compartment.

'- nnoon onnsraann.

a compartment adapted to slidingly receive a file drawer so that said drawer may be pulled from said compartment either longitudinal direction,a catch in the shape'of a bellcran'k 1ever,-one arm of which engages said drawer to prevent the inadvertent removal ofthedrawer from said compartment and 1 a stop pin on the other armof said catch I 7 adapted to engage material of said compart- I ment of sound-proof nature so as to'noise-' lessly limit the rocking of saidcatch. 7 In a filing cabinet, a casing open at 0pposite ends, a drawer slidable'in said casing and being withdrawable from the casing at either of said open ends, and gravity actuated latches on the casing forflretaining the I drawer in the casing, said latches being op;- erable to permit partial withdrawal of the drawer from either end of the casing, said latches being operable upon'partial with drawal of the drawer to prevent complete withdrawal of said drawer from the casing,

and said latches being operable automatically to permit movement of the drawer into the casing and for arresting its movement when completely inserted therein.

8. In a filing cabinet, a casing open at 0 0- V posite ends, a drawer slidahle insaid casing and being withdrawable from the casing at either of said open ends, and gravityactuated latches mounted on the casing and having limited pivotal movement for engagement with the drawer ends, said latches being operable to permit partial withdrawal of the drawer from the casing and cooperating with the end portions to prevent total withdrawal, said latches being manually operable to permit total withdrawal of the drawer from either of said open ends, and said latches being operable by the drawer to permit movement of the drawer into the casing.

' 9. In a filing cabinet having a compartment with an open end, a file drawer slidable Hit) 

